All my bags are packed I'm ready to go....I'm standin' here outside your door
Well, I'm not standing outside the door - but my bag is packed.
When I was at the doctor this past week, I learned that once I hit 37 weeks, they won't stop labor. I'll be 37 weeks on Monday, so I figured it was time to put things together.
Because Kaiser considers 35 to be high risk - and I'm 34, they also won't let me go past my due date. This means the matzo ball can arrive anytime between tomorrow and March 18.
I have everything I need for me set in the bag: robe, nursing bra, nursing PJs, toiletries, sleep mask, chargers, speakers, hair ties, slippers, breast pump and other mom-to-be fun since I have no idea where I will be when I need to head to the hospital (I'm HOPING it happens at night or the weekend before). Pillow is in the car.
We still need to put matzo ball's bag together - which pretty much consists of an outfit (which is at my aunt's house), and a nursing boppy - which I received from a coworker and is currently in a Target bag under my desk at work. The car seat bases are in both cars (we will likely take Adam's car to the hospital).
So for not being able to have a lot ready - we're sort of there. Physically at least. Hope the kid has a good sense of humor - because I sense a lot of screwball moments in the first few days.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
And Then There Were 30
I'm estimating that my last day at work will be March 15. Of course, we plan and God laughs. Between now and then, there are still a few things to do. Believe it or not, even though we aren't doing anything to the nursery until the matzo ball arrives, there are still several things I can do (not enough to warrant working from home, but still thinks I need to scratch off my list).
First up: We are getting the car seat base installed tomorrow. When Adam and I were babies, we were lucky if the car we were riding in had a seat belt - let alone a car seat. Rather than going to the DMV at a time that is convenient for neither of us (no Moorpark CHP, 3 p.m. on a Tuesday is NOT feasible), we are having a woman come to the house and give us a lesson in car seat safety (I just hope she doesn't quiz us).
Next: We have to finish up Lamaze. One of the Lamaze classes was canceled, so I'm not sure when we're going to be able to make it up since the Thursday after is Infant CPR. It's been informative, I just hope I've absorbed enough information to make it work when I go into Labor.
Then: Select the newborn photographer. This was actually made easier thanks to Stephanie who recommended Evie's photographer - and it is totally within our budget. Timewise, the photographers like to take pictures when babies are 5-7 days old - which will land us the day of Passover (or at least earlier that morning). The good news is she'll come to the house, so at least the family will be around.
So these are the next three on the list -- the list I've been trying to tackle to the best of my ability. I know we'll have a bunch more things to scratch off once she arrives, but at this point, anything that keeps my mind off the waiting is a good thing!
First up: We are getting the car seat base installed tomorrow. When Adam and I were babies, we were lucky if the car we were riding in had a seat belt - let alone a car seat. Rather than going to the DMV at a time that is convenient for neither of us (no Moorpark CHP, 3 p.m. on a Tuesday is NOT feasible), we are having a woman come to the house and give us a lesson in car seat safety (I just hope she doesn't quiz us).
Next: We have to finish up Lamaze. One of the Lamaze classes was canceled, so I'm not sure when we're going to be able to make it up since the Thursday after is Infant CPR. It's been informative, I just hope I've absorbed enough information to make it work when I go into Labor.
Then: Select the newborn photographer. This was actually made easier thanks to Stephanie who recommended Evie's photographer - and it is totally within our budget. Timewise, the photographers like to take pictures when babies are 5-7 days old - which will land us the day of Passover (or at least earlier that morning). The good news is she'll come to the house, so at least the family will be around.
So these are the next three on the list -- the list I've been trying to tackle to the best of my ability. I know we'll have a bunch more things to scratch off once she arrives, but at this point, anything that keeps my mind off the waiting is a good thing!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Relax? Are You Kidding?
When something the size of a watermelon comes out something the size of a bagel...how in the world can you remember to breathe?
You have to have someone remind you - in my case, my husband.
We have been in a Lamaze class for the past two weeks where we are learning not only about labor and delivery, but how to recognize contractions and when to call the hospital. Most importantly, we're learning breathing and relaxation techniques.
I plan to try to put them to use on the 45 minute drive from our house to the hospital.
I'm a stressed-out person by nature. As much as a try to relax with massages, facials, pedicures and manicures ... I am a type-A worrywart planner. There is so little I can control once I go into labor (outside of the lights and music), that I feel the only other thing in my control is the pain management. And while I inherited a pretty good pain tolerance level from my father - why push it?
During the last Lamaze class, the teacher made an imaginary line indicating how we felt about epidurals. One side of the line was: "no drugs, ever, don't even mention it." The other end of the spectrum was "drugs from the minute I come in to the hospital."
She then had the husbands position themselves on the line based on what they felt their wives would want. Then she asked the wives to position themselves and see if the husbands got it right. Adam had it spot on: Drugs from the minute I come in to the hospital. We then joked if the line extended out it he would have stood there representing: Drugs for the last five weeks of pregnancy.
We have two more classes left, including one on Valentine's Day. I will do everything possible in these next five weeks to keep my stress and blood pressure levels down and my relaxation up. History dictates otherwise....
You have to have someone remind you - in my case, my husband.
We have been in a Lamaze class for the past two weeks where we are learning not only about labor and delivery, but how to recognize contractions and when to call the hospital. Most importantly, we're learning breathing and relaxation techniques.
I plan to try to put them to use on the 45 minute drive from our house to the hospital.
I'm a stressed-out person by nature. As much as a try to relax with massages, facials, pedicures and manicures ... I am a type-A worrywart planner. There is so little I can control once I go into labor (outside of the lights and music), that I feel the only other thing in my control is the pain management. And while I inherited a pretty good pain tolerance level from my father - why push it?
During the last Lamaze class, the teacher made an imaginary line indicating how we felt about epidurals. One side of the line was: "no drugs, ever, don't even mention it." The other end of the spectrum was "drugs from the minute I come in to the hospital."
She then had the husbands position themselves on the line based on what they felt their wives would want. Then she asked the wives to position themselves and see if the husbands got it right. Adam had it spot on: Drugs from the minute I come in to the hospital. We then joked if the line extended out it he would have stood there representing: Drugs for the last five weeks of pregnancy.
We have two more classes left, including one on Valentine's Day. I will do everything possible in these next five weeks to keep my stress and blood pressure levels down and my relaxation up. History dictates otherwise....
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